Does your doctor pay attention ?

I know what you mean about not listening. Two years before I was diagnosed with a herniated disc, I didn't yet have the horrid back-stabbing pains and pains in my bum (sciatica) at first, I had numbness in my hip, radiating down thigh, to the side of my knee, etc. It worried me and made me stiff and unable to walk for long even on the level.

In hindsight, the numbness was a classic early symptom of nerve compression in my spine. I got sent hither and yon for tests, and to a rheumatologist, who back a few years ago, wanted to know were I wanted the steroid injection she was offering then and there to relieve arthritis symptoms (they don't do that now).

A lot of aggro could have been saved if someone had diagnosed me properly, including £8,000 for spinal surgery as waiting time was 10 months and I was flat on my back by then and was desparate to get back to work as I am self-employed.

I might have avoided injuring my back to the point of needing surgery if I thought my back was the source of my problem and not an arth-rickety hip!

Read the bios online for the doctors in your surgery. Maybe you need to see a different GP. I did, and thankfully he got me sorted. The other GP was 'nice' but 'nice' doesn't help when you are in pain.

I think your question was "does your Gp listen to you". I think I'm very lucky to have an understanding and patient Gp who seems to listen most of the time within the constraints of a 10 minute time slot.

A few months ago when I wanted to get to the root of a problem without being rushed, I specifically booked a double appointment.

All was going well till I became aware he was rushing to finish & I was reluctantly picking up my handbag as there were still a couple of points I was unsure about.

So I said hang on, I've booked a double appointment blah blah. He actually blushed and apologised saying he hadn't realised I had a double appointment. The consultation continued ...... And my medical problem was sorted out once and for all and I haven't had to see him since.

Guess what I had on my Christmas List this year....yes me too, I hate lists but I was nagged in to doing it.

Anyway I asked for a peddle exerciser which I can use while reading or watching tv. It had great reviews from people who have benefitted from using one. So I got one and now I am using it for legs and arms. I cannot walk far at the moment due to a wonkey knee, which I hope to get sorted soon. So as the doctor advises weight loss before the operation watching my diet as well as doing this exercise should help. Very easy to use and not expensive. No it doesn't move around on the floor when in use either.

Just to quickly add that my GP is a she, and she is brilliant. She is one of those who treat the whole person not just the complaint. Never seems in a rush to get you out of the surgery and very friendly. Actually most of them in that practice are too. So yes, she listens and she acts if necessary, which is good for me.

I cannot fault my GP. He often apologises for running late when I see him. I tell him he doesn't have to apologise, as often I have previously been the the cause of him running late, discussing my complex conditions He knows that I manage my conditions well and if I have come for an appointment, I must be needing help. He takes time to ask me what intervention I think will help. I consider myself very lucky to have him.

I think your GP meant you to do more weight bearing exercises but walking up and down stairs for 15 mins is ridiculous. Who would do that? There are many other ways to exercise!

That's interesting *Yorkshiregal I'll look into that.

I did a tester session for seated tai chi recently which was fabulous but obviously doesn't have me walking around. Went to the pool today and made an appt to see one of the personal trainers . Maybe they have some bright ideas.

I went to see a gynaecologist at the hospital and the whole appointment he spent circling the word 'obese' with his pen, didnt even look me in the face! I know I am fat but that was humiliating! spent rest of the day in tears and refuse to back to hospital now.

Cookiemonster66 that was a horrible experience for you. It makes me so cross, he was just rude and unprofessional. Gynaecologist are such prima donnas. Ask to see a female next time as the men are so up themselves.

Yes... and women gynaes have smaller hands, too!

NanaandGrampy, good luck. I hope you can get some advice and help.

cookiemonster that was a humiliating experience for you. My rheumatologist commented that I was obese (true, I was). The next time I saw her, I was pleased that she noticed I had lost some weight. Now that I have lost some more and can't be called obese, she has retired so I can't rub her nose in it!

Cookiemonster66
I agree that his behaviour was totally unacceptable and I can only imagine how very upsetting you found the whole episode.
In a nice way I'm going to suggest that if there is a next time that you experience this sort of rude, dismissive behaviour, that you find the courage to tell the 'rude' person how very embarrassing and discouraging you're finding their behaviour. It's almost a bullying scenario - quite shocking in fact.

Don't let this person's behaviour stop you obtaining medical help if you need it.

i saw a specialist at my hospital years ago who talked down to me and actually said "you've got an arthritic knee, what do you want to do about it?" and then went on to explain that the only option was an operation and that it might kill me!!! not something i really wanted to hear about so i left the hospital in tears and didn't go back again for several years.
then i had a knee replacement op and had to go to a special ward as my bmi was high.
last year i was referred to the hospital again regarding my other knee and was refused a referral as my bmi was 0.2 too high!
i was told to exercise but i told the specialist that i couldn't walk even from the changing room to the swimming pool .......... that shut him up but i'm left in quite severe pain having been told to "lose weight". how can you lose weight when you don't eat a great deal and can't exercise as you can't weight bear on the bad knee?
one day perhaps i'll find a way but until then i'll carry on as usual slowly losing weight and limping everywhere!!
however my lovely gp, a lady, listens to me whenever i see her - she also makes time to give me an injection into my bad knee which helps a little and renews my prescriptions for pain patches which she suggested.

Our Pilates class fills up with people who are told to exercise. This seems to be the doctors orders for every illness

our Pilates class is full of women over 65 who were advised to come either by a gp or a physio. I'm one of those women. We are now a group of 8 who have been going to the class for a couple of years. We've all been helped enormously. I currently have a swollen, painful knee but the low back and neck pain I had for years disappeared within a couple of months of Pilates and has not returned. I expect the knee is part inflammation, part osteo and part ageing . Luckily, I'm not overweight though I'd benefit from being half a stone lighter.

I was booked in for a review for some medication and I don't think the doctor looked at me once. He fired questions about how I was coping all the while noisily putting the results onto the computer. Since I am hard of hearing I kept having to ask him to repeat himself. When I finally said I'm sorry I am rather deaf he commented that it might be time for some hearing aids. Which I do wear! Needless to say I have avoided this particular doctor since which is easy to do since we can book appointments online.

NanaanGrampy can your GP refer you for some sessions at the local gym? I don't know if they do it everywhere but it means you get sessions with a trainer who will find exercises you can actually do which will help your strength and mobility.

We seem to be very lucky with our GPs. The two senior partners always manage to look pleased to see us and take an interest in our treatment.

I already belong to a gym Deedaa , it's where I swim . Although it would be lovely if I didn't have to pay for it

I shall indeed consult a personal trainer and see what they recommend .

I actually tried the stair thing today , and with the best will in the world it would take work for me . I can only walk up one stair at a time and coming down clinging to the bannisters means a snail could overtake me !

I'm seeing the practice nurse next week for a blood test so I'll feed back to my GP . I shouldn't think for a moment he'll remember me lol

I don`t think he was listening . Last time I went to a Physio ( young fit male ) he said that excersise should leave you sweaty and out of breath . I sometimes wonder what planet they are on or is it that they have no concept of how getting older/being unwell affects your ability to run on a treadmill , do aerobics etc . I think you are doing really well to go swimming 3/4 times a week .

Here I am again, peddling away on my little peddle exerciser. It has really made a difference loosening up my stiff knee and I can do it while watching tv or typing this.

If you go to the NHS website, as I did, you will see that they are not expensive starting around £25 and upwards. I saw a comment from a physiotherapist on the website and she said she has bought a lot of these for her 'customers'. Give it a try because it really helps. There is a calorie counter on mine and I can adjust the resistance. Also I can time myself so start low and gradually increase. Don't overdo it as you are looking for an exercise that does not make things worse. You could of course be a bit more dependent on the NHS and ask for physiotherapy but I chose to pay for it myself.

It sounds to me as if you are doing really well to make the effort to go swimming 3 or 4 times each week. He should be praising your efforts. My DH had mobility problems before his knee op and he did swimming and aqua aerobics. You can also do chair exercise every day to music by moving your arms. Hold tin of baked beans or similar in each hand and raise arms up and down slowly, then make circling movements with arms first forward then backwards. Try to increase time from 3 mins to 10 mins over a couple of weeks and raise arms above head. It should help mobility and flexibility of shoulders.

According to the NHS

Exercise Guidelines for older adults aged 65 and over

Older adults aged 65 or older, who are generally fit and have no health conditions that limit their mobility, should try to be active daily and should do:

at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity such as cycling or walking every week, and
strength exercises on two or more days a week that work all the major muscles (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms).

What counts as moderate aerobic activity?
Examples of activities that require moderate effort for most people include:
walking
water aerobics
ballroom and line dancing
riding a bike on level ground or with few hills
playing doubles tennis
pushing a lawn mower
canoeing
volleyball

So your physio, f77ms was talking b* s*

MOnica, I have had a bicycle all my life. I played badminton twice a week until I was 55yrs old. I had to have my joints from my big toes removed because they had collapsed from too much sport.

Now I have arthritis in the knee.We went for a walk today to enjoy the sunshine. I didn't get very far but it was nice to be in the fresh air. I used to do a lot of walking over the hills in Carding Mill Valley...had a very comfortable pair of walking boots.

I used to love dancing and spent a lot of time in the Palais d dance and Sherwood rooms, plus the dancing slipper at Trent Bridge in Nottingham.

I also played in a netball team, I was the shooter; and I and my partner won a tennis tournament.

How much exercise can I do now? Not a lot. Exercise usually ends in arthritis of the joints eventually.

Oh yes, I forgot we were members of a shuffling squares team in Belgium. We used to go and mix with the Americans. I also used to dance with my father who was a very good ballroom dancer.

Also I learned to ice skate in the Torvil and Dean ice rink and I learned to ski in Norway.

Not to mention the fact that I helped with teaching infants to swim when my youngest son was at school.

I enjoyed it all, but I cannot do much at all now.